Feeding mechanism for shaker conveyers



April 20, 1943.

C. Ai PRATT -FEEDINGVMECHANISM FOR SHAKER CNVEYERS Filed Dec. l, 1941 .5Sheets-Sheet l v. n NN L Ap 20, 1943. c. A. PRATT FEEDING MECHANISM FRSHAKER CIONVEYERS 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. l, 1941 April-.H209 w43QA. PRAT'T v M5313 FEEDNG MECHANISM FOR SHAKER CONVEYERS Filed Dec. 1,1941 l 3 Sheets-Shale?. 3

IN V EN TOR.

.\ Y' 60 m ga/r/i/ E17/( ATTO R NE Patented. Apr. 20, 1943 FEEDINGMECHANISM FOR SHAKER VCONVEYERS Charles A. Pratt,'Chicago,` Ill.,assignor to Goodman Manufacturingcompany, Chicago, Ill., a corporationof Illinois Application December 1, 1941, Serial No.i421,141

(Cl. ISS- 220) 2 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in feedingmechanisms for shakerconveyors of the type used for picking up and transporting loosematerial such coal, rock, or the like in mines.

The principal object of the invention is toprovide a positive feedingmeansfor an extensible trough section, auxiliary to the friction gripVfeeding mechanism, for feeding said extensible'trough section'where thepitch of the coal seam may be such as to impair the efficiency of thefriction grip feeding mechanism.

More particularly, the present invention constitutes an improvement inthe type of auxiliary ratchet feeding me-chanism disclosed in theLetters Patent of Loyal F. Crawford, No. 2,251,118, issued July 29,1941, and reissue-d January 20, 1942, as No. 22,008, whereby saidauxiliary ratchet feeding mechanism is provided with automatic means forimparting a plurality of successive feeding strokes to the extensibletrough section,`

when desired, so as to eliminate any necessity for manual control of thefriction grip mechanism during the operation of the ratchet feedingmechanism.

The invention may best be understood by reference to the accompanyingdrawings in which:

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of a shaker conveyer trough line,showing a friction grip `feeding mechanism of conventional form, with anauxiliary positive feeding mechanism constructed in accordance with myinvention associated therewith;

Figure 2 is a top plan View of the trough line shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an enlarged view in side elevation of the trough line withthe friction grip block mechanism adjusted in position to advance theextensible trough section, and showing parts of the auxiliary feedingmechanism in substantially` of the bearing `plates I9, I9.

and the method Vof providing fluid pressure in the system. Y

In the drawings, the embodiment of my `invention illustrated includes ashaker conveyer trough line I0 fhaving `a swivel II interposed therein,to permit'theforward-end of the trough line `to `be.swung from side toside and enable material to be `gatheredufrom various pointsalong aworking face. `Said swivel-is of an ordinary construction well known .tothose skilled in the artand has` a conveyer trough section I2 secured toand projecting lfrom its forward end.

, The conveyer .trough section I2'has a friction grippingtype of feedingmechanism I5 pivotally mounted on the forward endthereof and disposedinadvance thereof, which-is adapted to extend Yor retract an extensibletrough section I6 with *respect to said l conveyer` trough section. Saidextensibletroughsection is mounted at its rear end on a shoe II and hasa shovel I8 pro- 4 jecting from the forward end and lformingacontinuation thereofand resting upon the ground at its forward end.Flanged bearing plates I 9, I9

extend laterally from the upper sides of said extensible trough section,and are adapted to form V-a track for flanged'rollers'2li,v 2li mountedin the 'ufpwardlynprojecting sides of a bracket 2 I. i bracket extends:beneath and forwardly from and Said upwardlyalong `opposite sides Aofsaid conveyer trough section and forms a support for thefeeddescribed inso far asis necessaryy to' make vmy present ,inventiony clearlyunderstandable. Said feeding mechanism includesa pair of spaced car-.rier membersv 22, 22 eachhavingza pair of fric- -tion grip blocks r23and 24 which are adapted to selectively engage the upper and lowersurfaces Said carrierv members each have pivotal connection at. theirlower end withl a spring link 25 `which forms a means for .engagingsaidgrip blocksrwithsaid bearing plates. Saidy spring linksare Idisposed.below the trough section -Iland are 1vyieldablyi mounted in *aforkedbracket 26,' which projects forwardly fromand is pivotallymounted on theforward end of the bracket 2|. -A link 29 is pivotally connectedto theupperend of each of said carrier members fon a bolt 30, which bolt alsoforms a means for pivotally connecting the upper gri-p 4.block 124 .tosaidv carrier member. Said link exmounted on opposite ends of atransverse shaft 34 which is mounted adjacent its' ends in the brackets26, 25. Said hand levers are operatively connected with the carriermembers 22, 22 to change the inclination thereof, by means of cranks 35,35, mounted on the shaft 34 between the sides of the brackets 25, 26,and links 32, 32 connecting said cranks with the cranks 3|,

3| (see Figure 3). i

A iiuid pressure cylinder 35 is pivotally mount- Ved at its rear end ona bracket 31 beneath the trough section I2 by means of a transverse pin55. Said cylinder is provided with a `piston 43 having a piston rod V43extending forwardly therefrom. Said piston rod has a pawl44 pivotallymounted on the forward end thereof on a pin 45 secured at its ends in aforked bracket 45 which is secured to the forward end of said pistonrod. A compression spring 41 is provided to yieldably hold said pawl inengagement with a rack 48 mcunted on and extending along the undersideof the extensible trough section I6. The structure previously describedis similar to that disclosed in previously mentioned Reissue Patent-lNo. 22,008.

Referring now more particularly to the novel features of my invention, Iprovide a second pawl 55 pivotally mounted between the side walls 55, 55of an arm 51 adjacent the rear end of the latter, by pin 58. at itsfroni-l endto the pivot pin 38 on bracket 31. A compression spring 59 isprovided to yieldingly hold the pawl 55 in engaging position relative tothe rack 48. A

The cylinder 3G and arm 51 are simultaneously raised or lowered aboutthe axis of pin'r33 to permit their respective pawls 44 and 55 to' bemoved into or out of engaging position relative to the rack 48. In theform shown, this adjustment is afforded by either one of the hand'levers33` The arm 51 is pivotally connected L pawl 44, and cams 63, 63controlling the position of pawl 55, are so shaped that when the handlevers 33, 33 are positioned to extend the extensible trough section I6with respect to the tion relative to the rack 48, as shown in Figure 4.

v chored by mine jacks 13, 13 and the pump being 5|, 5|, respectively,mounted on the underside of the conveyer trough section I2 in spacedapart brackets 52, 52 depending from the bracket 2|" (see Figure 6).Said shafts each have an eccentric disc or cam 53 on the inner endthereof ladapted to have engagement with projections 54 projectinglaterally vin opposite directions from the forward end of the cylinder36.'

Similarly, the rocking levers 60, 63 are'secured to the outer ends of apair'of shafts 6|, 6|, respectively, mountedin spaced-apart brackets 62,62 depending from the trough section I2, and

each having an eccentric 63 on the inner end thereof adapted to haveengagement with projections 64 projecting laterally in oppositedirectionsfrom the rearend of arm 51, as shown in Figure'1."..V

Thecams 53, 53 controlling the position of operated by means of apendulum 14 which is reciprocated by the shaking'movement of the troughline I0 in the usual manner. Details of the fluid supply and controlmeans need not be described in detail, as they form no part of theinvention, excepting to point out a manual control valve 15 with valvehandles 16 for supplying air through pipes 11, 18 leading to oppositeends of the cylinder 36. i

With the construction and arrangement above described, it will beunderstood that when the conveyer is operated along an ascending gradeof such a pitch that the friction grip blocks 23, 23 and 24, 24 will notefficiently extend the extensible trough section I5,V manipulation ofthe Valve handle 16 Willcause the piston 40 and pawl 44 engaging therack'48, to positively extend said extensible trough section, through aVstroke equal to the permissible movement of the piston 40 in cylinder36. During this extending movement, the teeth of rack 48 willmoveforwardly relative to the pawl 55 with the usual ratcheting action.After the piston 43 has been moved to thelimit of its forward stroke,however, the pawl 55 will hold the extensible trough section IIipositively against retractive movement while the piston 40 l and itspawl 44 arereturned `to its initial rearward position. In this mannersaid piston and pawl are enabled to make as many repeated thrustingstrokes as may be required to advance the extensible trough section. Y f

`While I have herein shown and described one form in which my inventionmay be embodied, it will be understood that the construction thereof andthe arrangement of the variousparts may be altered without departingfrom the spirit and scope thereof. Furthermore, Ido not wish to beconstrued as limiting my invention to the specific embodimentillustrated, excepting as `it may be limited in the appended claims. f

I claim as my invention:

1. In a shaker conveyer, a conveyer trough section,V an extensibletrough section, Vfriction feeding means actuated by movement of theconveyer for extending saidextensible trough` section, and one of saidtrough sections .carrying a 2. In a shaker conveyer, a conveyer troughsection, an extensible trough section, feeding means for extending saidextensible trough section from or retracting said extensible troughsection within said conveyer trough section, control means forpositioning said feeding means to extend or retract said extensibletrough section, other means independent of said feeding means forpositively extending said extensible trough ment relative to the otherof said trough sections, and a second ratchet device forming anautomatic holding connection between said trough sections While saidthrusting member is being retracted for a repeated forward stroke, andmeans operatively connected with said control means for simultaneouslyrendering both of said ratchet devices ineiective when said controlmeans is in position to cause said feeding means section including apower-operated extensible 10 to retract said extensible trough section.

thrusting member on one of said trough sections having one-Way ratchetfeeding engage- CHARLES A. PRATT.

